Global Health Research for Programming

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

Subject Quota: 35

Subject Dates: 13th - 17th Feb, 2012

120 hours

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website.

Increasing international focus on aid effectiveness has brought renewed attention to the role of evidence in identifying health needs and responding appropriately, and ensuring accountability through program evaluation and dissemination.

This subject will use current global health challenges, drawing on speakers’ field experiences, through which students will be exposed to the principles and techniques of research, program design and program evaluation. Both conventional and innovative methods for community needs assessments and evaluation will be described and some practised.

Students will apply these learnings in practical, staged exercises to draft research and strategic program plans. They will also be asked to consider evidence requirements and real-world compromises in research, programming, evaluation and accountability within complex international settings.

On the completion of this subject students should be able to:

• Articulate international understandings of aid effectiveness and accountability
• Understand competing definitions of “health needs” and methods of identifying these, including systematic research as well as rapid assessment approaches as they apply to development settings
• Understand the steps in evidence-based program design for development settings
• Identify and justify approaches, data collection methods and suggested timing for global health program monitoring and evaluation

Group Work – approximately six students per group (20%): oral presentation (20 – 30 mins) of a global health program design and evaluation framework for a specific setting, based on classroom exercises and readings on the last teaching day
Written assignment:of 4,000 words – due six weeks after the last teaching day (80%)

Students will be issued key readings for this subject.

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This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Finding, evaluating and using relevant information.
• Written communication skills.
• Oral communication skills.